In the first half of the game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder won the points battle. In the second half, they won the long game.
A 41-18 third quarter in the Kings’ favor elevated Sacramento to a 122-106 win over the Thunder, handing OKC its eighth loss in a row but allowing the team to regain sole possession of the third-best odds in the NBA draft lottery.
The Oklahoma City starting lineup of Kenrich Williams, Aleksej Pokusevski, Darius Bazley, Isaiah Roby and Moses Brown helped the Thunder score 32 points in the first quarter. OKC actually outscored the Kings overall between the first, second and fourth quarters, but that third quarter was bad enough to clinch the loss.
Here are three takeaways from the performance: